Economy - overviewThe economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers. GDP (purchasing power parity)$1.551 billion (2003 est.) GDP (official exchange rate)NA GDP - real growth rateNA% GDP - per capita (PPP)$8,300 (2003 est.) GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: NA% 6.6% Population below poverty lineNA% Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices)1% (2003) Labor force62,630 (1999) Labor force - by occupationagriculture: 18.2% Unemployment rate19.2% (December 2003) Budgetrevenues: $135.5 million Industriesconstruction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining Industrial production growth rateNA% Electricity - production465.2 million kWh (2003) Electricity - consumption432.6 million kWh (2003) Electricity - exports0 kWh (2003) Electricity - imports0 kWh (2003) Oil - production0 bbl/day (2003 est.) Oil - consumption6,600 bbl/day (2003 est.) Oil - exportsNA bbl/day Oil - importsNA bbl/day Natural gas - production0 cu m (2003 est.) Natural gas - consumption0 cu m (2003 est.) Agriculture - productscorn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry Exports$137.5 million f.o.b. (2003) Exports - commoditiesshrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing Exports - partnersFrance 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004) Imports$625 million c.i.f. (2002 est.) Imports - commoditiesfood (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals Imports - partnersFrance 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004) Debt - external$800.3 million (2003) Economic aid - recipient$NA Currency (code)euro (EUR) Exchange rateseuros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) Fiscal yearcalendar year |
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Source: CIA World Factbook |